Easy Cream Cheese Danish

This is what I made for Father's Day Breakfast.  I don't make it very often and soon you'll see why.  It takes about an hour, which I don't usually have time for in the morning, and it's very rich and heavy on the calories.  This is another great recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Easy Cream Cheese Danish

Dough:

1 1/2 C warm water

2 T sugar

1 T yeast (I use active dry)

1 t salt

3 1/2- 4 C flour

2 T melted butter

Filling:

1 -8 oz package cream cheese softened

3/4 C sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

dash salt

1 C raspberry, mixed berry, or strawberry jam

Glaze:

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1/4 t vanilla

2 T milk

1 T butter

The Dough
1. Mix the water sugar, sugar and yeast in the bottom of your Kitchen Aid, or mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes until nice and bubbly.
2. Add the salt and the flour 1 C at a time while mixing  until the dough scrapes the edges of the bowl clean. When all of the flour is added mix on high for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the 2 T of butter into the bottom of a large jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Spread it all around to cover the pan. Set the dough on the buttered pan and let it rest for 5 minutes.  Your dough will be hard to handle unless it rests.
4. Press the dough out to the corners of the pan.

The Filling
1. In a small mixing bowl mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg and salt together. Mix on high for about 2 minutes or until all ingredients are smoothly incorporated.
2. Spoon the cream cheese filling onto the dough and spread it around to cover the dough with a knife.
3. Warm your jam up in the microwave for about 30 seconds. This will make it easier to spread. Spoon it onto the cream cheese filling in little globs.
4. Run a knife or spoon through the cream cheese filling and jam to make a marble like pattern.
5. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into 12 large (5 inches or so) squares. Then cut each square in half diagonally to make 24 triangles.
6. Let the dough rest and rise for about 10 minutes. You don't want it to rise very much. It should only rise up to be even with the rim of the pan. Just watch it carefully then  bake it when it reaches the rim of the jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until the top and the bottom both get golden brown. When they are done take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
7. Run your pizza wheel back through the cutting lines you cut before baking. It will be kind of sticky and gooey. Clean off your pizza wheel several times as you go.

The Glaze
1. In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth and silky. Put into a Ziploc bag and cut a very small opening in the corner. After the danish is mostly cool separate the danishes from each other and remove from the pan, pipe the glaze onto the danish and serve!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cream Cheese Dip

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cream Cheese Dip

This is a favorite of the kids for after school.  It's not the healthiest, so I don't make it often.  I've also used real whipping cream in place of the cool whip.  It's another one of Jamie's great recipes.

4 T Philadelphia Cream Cheese

5 T crunchy peanut butter

1/2 C powdered sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

Half an 8 oz container Cool Whip

1/2 t vanilla

dash salt

1/4 C mini chocolate chips

Graham Crackers

Pretzels

Marshmallows

Bananas

Apples

1. In your stand mixer or in a medium sized mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until nice and smooth. 

2. Add the peanut butter, sugars, vanilla and dash of salt. Beat until well combined.

3. Add the cool whip and mix just until combined.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

5. Serve with Graham Crackers, Pretzels, Marshmallows, Bananas and Apples.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

This comes from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.  However, I added the orange flavor to it, and the glaze option at the end.

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 ts baking powder
• 1/4 salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
• 1 tsp orange zest (or grated orange peel)
  

1. Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper baking cups; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.
   
2. In another mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add egg mixture to dry mixture. Stir till just moistened. 
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each one 2/3 full. Bake in oven 400 F for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Makes 10 to 12. 

For a sweet muffin, top with a simple glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp grated orange peel, and 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice.  Mix together in a small bowl and drizzle over muffins after they have cooled for a couple of minutes.

Slow Cooker Posole

•  We bought a #10 can of hominy for cheap the other day, so Aaron started looking for a pozole recipe.  Some recipes use a "z" others use an "s".  This one used an "s".  We pretty much followed the recipe except that we didn't have any cilantro.  I also made my own enchilada sauce.  Many websites suggested serving this with shredded cabbage, tortilla chips, sliced avocado, and lime wedges.  We had everything except the avocado - but that would have been delicious!  Amy is picky and wouldn't eat it, but the boys ate it even thought it was spicy.  We cooked it for less than 6 hours and it was fine.
  
•  
• Slow-Cooker Posole
•  
•  
• Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 (2 pound) boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans enchilada sauce
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans white hominy, drained
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup green chilies, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the pork; cook and stir just until meat is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
2. Place the meat in a 4 quart slow cooker. Pour the enchilada sauce over the meat. Top with the hominy, onion, chilies, garlic, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Pour in enough water to fill the slow cooker.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 6 to 7 hours. Stir in the cilantro and salt. Cook on Low for 30 minutes more.

BYU Brownies

Delicious!  But in order to keep this under 200 calories, I had to make my piece smaller.


From the BYU Magazine
BYU Brownies
1 cup butter or margarine
½ cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups cake flour
½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions: Melt butter.  Add cocoa and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter into a greased 9X13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Let cool then ice with mint icing.  Place into freezer for 5-10 minutes to stiffen the icing.
Remove from freezer and carefully smooth on a layer of chocolate icing.

Mint Icing
12 oz. powdered sugar
2 ½ oz. Crisco shortening
Dash of salt
2 oz. cold water
½ tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

Directions:  Combine all ingredients except shortening.  Mix until smooth.  Add shortening and mix 10 more minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Chocolate Icing
12 oz. powdered sugar
1.5 oz. hot water
1.5 oz butter or margarine
1.5 oz. melted chocolate chips
1 tablespoon corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Mix the hot water, margarine, and powdered sugar until smooth and margarine is fully melted.  Add the fudge base, corn syrup, and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.

Polish Kolaczki

David did a report on Poland for school.  He could bring in something from that country, clothing, food, a dance etc.  He of course wanted to bring food.  So I found this recipe online.  I couldn't get them to stay folded together very well, but they still taste great!  I ate three of them before I calculated the nutrition facts.  I might have to have a small dinner tonight.  I filled them with the jam I had on hand, apricot, raspberry, and strawberry-raspberry.  Delicious!

Polish Kolaczki

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened

12 ounces (3 sticks) butter, softened

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 (14-ounce) cans fillings of choice (apricot, prune, raspberry, etc.)

Granulated sugar

Confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch on a surface that has been dusted with equal parts confectioners and granulated sugars (not flour), because the granulated sugar will act as ball bearings and help keep the dough from sticking. Cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling on center of each square. Overlap opposite corners of dough to the center over filling.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or when corners start to brown. Cool and dust with confectioners sugar. These tend to become soggy if held for several days, so store them tightly covered (or freeze) without the confectioners sugar. Dust with confectioners sugar just prior to service.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

I am desperately trying to remember where I got this recipe.  I served it with some Caribbean Jerk Salmon.  Delicious!  The peas are not really peas, but rather red beans.  This was very good, and not very spicy.  perhaps it was because I only used a jalapeno instead of a Scotch bonnet or Habanero pepper.  I also didn't have coconut milk (which would have been delicious and added a ton of fat and calories) so I used chicken broth instead.  Hopefully I'll find the link and add it in soon.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place beans and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the beans are tender, stir in the coconut milk, green onions, Scotch bonnet, and thyme, and increase the heat to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with sliced green onions.